Cigar lighter



oct. 6, 1925. 1,556,082

C. H. CUNO ET AL CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Feb. 6, 1925 27 32 29 Fig. 2-

3s 5 2e I so INVENTORS Charles II. Cuna, and' Frederick L Wood,

Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES H. CUN() AND FREDERICK L. VOOD, F MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASS

PATENT OFFICE.o

TO THE CUNO ENGINEERING CORPORATICN, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, W. C'Gt- IPORATION 0F CONNECTICUT.

CIGAB LIGHTER.

Application led February 8, 1925.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. *Corzo and FRnoEnioK L. Woon, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Meriden, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Uigar Lighter, of which the following is a specilication.

Our invention relates particularly to switches tor devices such as cigar lighters.

The main object is to provide a simple, inexpensive but reliable construction.

Another obj ect is to provide a switch which can be operated either manually or automatically.

The invention is yapplied preferably to devices in which the conductor cord or cable is wound on a reel. The switch itselt is mounted in the holder with the igniter.

Fig. l is a side view and partial section showing a cigar lighter embodying one orm of the improvements of our invention, the holder being drawn out of the casing and the switch in the closed or on position.

Fig. 2 is a plan View and partial section showing a holder seated in the reel casing with the switch in the open circuit or olf position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the holder' and switch.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of part of the switch operating device.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View of the holder on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and'showing the rear end of the switch member.

The holder 6 is of tubular form, preferably such as is commonly employed in devices of this character, for instance, as shown in U. S. Patents Nos. 1,346,368 or 1,523,585. ln the rear end is a terminal member 7 to be soldered or otherwise secured in place in contact with the casing and connected to one wire 8 of the conductor cord. The other circuit terminal 9, which is secured to the end of the conductor 10, is preferably mounted in an insulating disc 11 which, for convenience in manufacture, is secured in the terminal ring 7.

rlhe outer end of the holder is adapted to receive the igniter element which has an insulating body 12 and a heater element 13. rlhe ferrule 14 is secured to the base ot' the i gniter element and constitutes one terminal Serial ll'o. 7,2257.

oit 'the heater wire. 'lhe other end ol' the heater wire is secured to a center terminal 15. The outer terminal 14 is in electrical engagement with the holder and, therefore, electrically connected with the circuit terminal ring 7. l'l/ e preferably mount the igniter detachably at the end of the holder and tor this purpose may provide one or more projections or lugs, such as 16, adapted to lit into corresponding bayonet slots, such as 17, in the outer end of the holder tube (3. @ne forni ora such igniter element is more fully shown and described in U S. lat. No. 1,460,095.

The switch member proper consists` ot two telescopic movable tubular members 18 and 19, with an interposed spring 20. These are mounted in an insulating block 21 between the circuit 'terminal 9 and the igniter terminal 15. rlhe tendency o1' the spring 2O is to hold the plunger 18 againstl the circuit terv minal 9, and the plunger' 19 against the igniter terminal 15. Obviously the circuit can be opened by moving the plunger 1S away from terminal 9 or moving' the plunger 19 away from the terminal 15.

A convenient operating means consists of the ring 22 secured to the insulating bloclr 21 and provided with lugs 23 which extend through slots inthe sides of the holder. llt will be seen that by engaging the rear of the lugs 23 and drawing the insulating block 21 forwardly the circuit may be opened as shown in llig. 3. ller the purpose of ease ot operation, preferably the plunger 19 is loosely mounted within the end of the plunger 18 and the insulating block A21 and ring 22 are loosely mounted within the tubular :t rerably the device is used'with a reel or drum mounted in a casing` 25. rl`his drum preferably has two lange members, 26 and 27, and the casing is provided with circuit terminals such as 28 and 29. The inner ends or the conductor cable wires 8 and 10 are secured to the discs or llanges 26 and 1 @ne form of such sliding contact is easing is provided with a sleeve or socket 33 adapted to receive the inner end of the holder 6, in a manner commonly employed in such devices.

It will be seen that the switch may be operated to o en the circuit by simply pushing the holder into the sleeve 33 so that the outer end of the sleeve engages the projecting lugs 23 of the switch member, thus moving the parts to the position shown in Fig. 3. The arts may be so designed as to be frictiona ly held in the position of Fig. 3, or if the winding spring 32 is stron enough, it may overcome the pressure of the Spring 2O and thus serve to draw the holder into the casing and automatically open the circuit if there is suiiicient play betweenthe holder 6 and the sleeve 33. Of course when the holder is withdrawn from the casing the spring 20 will automatically thrust the plunger 18 to the rear and close the circuit through the terminal 9. The operator can, of course, open the circuit again without-reinserting the holder in the casing by simply pulling forwardly on the lugs 23 of the switch member.

It will be seen that the spring 20 not only tends to keep the circuit closed through the holder but also serves to hold the igniter in position in the end of the holder.

We alsoprefer to provide with such adevice a guard member 34 to assist in holding the igniter in place against accidental disengagement and also to prevent accidental contact with the heater element 13. One form of such device is shown in Cuno Patent No. 1,346,368.

While this invention relates particularly to cigar lighters, it should be understood, of course, that the igniter element may be removed and replaced by any suitable current consuming device, such, for instance, as an ordinary electric lamp bulb. shown.)

We claim 1. In a cigar lighter, a holder, a stationary terminal mounted therein, a detachable igniter having an end terminal, an insulatin block slidable longitudinally in said ho der and a double-acting spring-pressed plunger mounted in said block and reciprocable longitudinally between said stationary and said igniter terminals. 2. A cigar lighter comprising a holder havingmeans for receiving an igniter in one end and a contact in the other end having a longitudinal slot between the ends, an insulating block reciprocable in saidl holder, an operating member secured to said block and extending through said slot, and an explanslibleswitch member mounted in said 3.' An igniter holder having a slot,\an insulatin'g block slidable in said holder, a.

(Not

block, a plunger mounted in said switch membe'r, one end of said switch member being dan ed inwardly to enga e said plunger an said plunger having a s oulder to engage said flange anda sprin interposed between the outer ends of sait? switch member and said plunger and an operating member secured to said block and extending throu h said slot.

4. cigar lighter comprising a holder, an insulating disc secured therein, a stationary switch contact mounted in said disc, an insulatin block reciprocable in said holder, a switc member carried by said block and reciprocable therewith, a spring pressed terminal carried by said switch member and adapted to serve as a contact for an igniter terminal vand means in said holder for receiving an igniter.

5. A cigar lighter comprising a holder, an igniter in one end of said holder, a circuit terminal mounted in the other en d of said holder, and an insulating member movable longitudinally in said holder between said ignlter and said terminal and having an expansible switchk plunger.

6. A cigar lighter comprising a holder, an igniter in one end of said holder, a circuit terminal mounted in the other end of said holder, an insulating member movable longitudinally in said holder between said igniter and said terminal and having an expansible switch plunger, and means for automatically moving said plunger. Y

7. In a cigar lighter, a holder, an igniter element in the front end thereof, a stationary contact in rear thereof, a contact electrically connected to said igniter element and movable longitudinally in said holder toward and from said stationary contact, a sleeve adapted to receive said holder, and a. member secured to said movable contact and projecting from said holder to engage said sleeve and keep said contacts separated while said holder is in said sleeve.

8. In a ci ar lighter, a casing having a receiving soc et, an igniter holder ada ted to be inserted into said socket, a win ing reel in said casing for automatically drawing said holder into said socket a stationary contact in said holder, and a switch member movable longitudinally in said holder.toward and from said stationary contact and having a projecting operator adapted to seat a ainst the outer end of said socket to open t e circuit.

9. A cigar lighter switch element comprising an insulatin block, a telescopic plunger secured therein and extending from opposite ends thereof, an expansion sprin in said plunger, and a yoke secured to sai block and having lugs extending from opposite edges thereof.

CHARLES H. CUNO.

FREDERICK L. WOOD.

lUU 

